1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nasal dilator for placing on the nose of a user for improving the breathing through the user's nose by dilating the user's nostrils. The nasal dilator generally comprises a central, resilient, beam-shaped element and two attaching elements placed at respective ends of the beam-shaped element and adapted in use to be attached to respective sides of the user's nose, as the beam-shaped element in use extends from one side of the user's nose over the bridge of the nose to the other side of the user's nose.
A nasal dilator of the above described type is designed for people who suffer from difficulties in breathing caused by malformations of the nostril passages, illnesses such as polyps, allergies such as hayfever, and who often have to breathe through the mouth, which may lead to irritation of the lungs, anxiety, sleeping problems and snorring, and for people practicing sport and thus having to inhale a larger air volume than the usual one.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A nasal dilator of the above described type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,292,083 which describes a construction which, according to the inventor, is designed for use by persons suffering from breathing problems, especially hayfever, and who, by using the nasal dilator, can breathe a larger air volume through the nose. The construction consists of three components, i.e. two attaching elements formed as adhesive cushions or suction cups and designed for being attached on each side of the user's nose, and a central beam-shaped, flexible element exerting tension on the attaching elements, thus keeping the nostrils in a dilated or expanded state.
Similar nasal dilators are disclosed in the international patent applications WO 92/22340 and WO 94/23675 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,091, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,499, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,503 to which reference is made and which are hereby incorporated in the present specification by reference. Additional dilator devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,929 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,605 (Acutek) to which reference is made and which are hereby incorporated in the present specification by reference. These dilators, however, all suffer from the drawback that they are of a complex construction.
Published international application WO 92/22340 discloses a nasal dilator consisting of a central band of flexible material having an adhesive coating applied to one side thereof, the adhesive being shaped with opposite end elements and an intermediary connecting segment. An absorbing cushion is mounted on the upper side of the segment, on the adhesive coating, for absorption of moisture or perspiration when the construction is mounted on the user's nose with the cushion facing the bridge of the nose with the adhesive-coated end elements fixated to the sides of the user's nose. The construction constitutes in its entirety a conventional plaster per se having attached release paper on the exterior, adhesive side thereof in the conventional manner. On the opposite or other side of the band, i.e. the side opposite the adhesive coating, the construction is provided with resilient bands attached to the other side of the band by means of respective adhesive elements which are shaped as a double adhesive tape.
Published international patent application WO94/23675 discloses a nasal dilator which per se can be regarded as a development of the nasal dilator disclosed in the above-mentioned older international patent application. The modified or improved nasal dilator provides a sandwich construction comprising a further (in relation to the prior construction) foil which eliminates the sensation of inconvenience and irritation due to the cutting and peeling forces which appear when using the model according to WO92/22340. The adhesive, which in both the above-mentioned older patent applications is used for applying the nasal dilator onto the skin, is preferably biocompatible and diffusion-open.
The above-mentioned nasal dilators have the common characteristic that, containing several individual components, they show limitations relative to the complicated configuration, and that the diffusion-open adhesive allows perspiration, moisture or sebum to penetrate through the adhesive area and the adhesive band, reducing the effectivity of the adhesion and, consequently, the adhesion area, which in turn leads to loosening of the nasal dilator and the final detachment thereof.